'Don't Say Gay' Law

The Florida education system has been in the spotlight lately after Gov. Ron DeSantis banned diversity and inclusion programs in public colleges and approved a controversial social studies curriculum.

Parents districts will have to sign a consent form before their school-aged child can be called by a name other than the one on their birth certificate.

The changes to the Hillsborough curriculum guides were made with legislation prohibiting classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in mind - laws that critics refer to as "Don't Say Gay."

The Florida Board of Education's new rules reinforcing a slate of laws restricting instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom include limits on the use of preferred pronouns.

Educators now risk losing their teaching license if they refer to students by preferred names or pronouns. They also run this risk if they use bathrooms, names or pronouns that don’t match their own sex assigned at birth.

Several laws restricting what can be taught in Florida classrooms and how students can conduct themselves will take effect on Saturday.

Scores from a national standardized test show 13-year-olds dropped in their reading and math proficiency, continuing a downward trend since the COVID pandemic. But Florida educational experts are more concerned about upcoming social studies and civics scores.

Civil rights advocates toured Florida this week to push back against Gov. Ron DeSantis' conservative agenda and recent policies affecting education, health care and voting.

Some students, including one from Florida, say the measures targeting aspects of their identity have made them less welcome in American schools — the one place all kids are supposed to feel safe.

Removing a book from school libraries, classroom indoctrination, and the future of its superintendent were the main points of contention in a Hernando County School Board meeting Tuesday night that lasted over eight hours.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is considered Donald Trump's strongest Republican rival in the crowded 2024 contest, but many voters are only starting to get to know DeSantis.

With the help of GOP supermajorities in the statehouse, Gov. DeSantis has been able to push through an aggressive agenda that forms the base of his White House run.